RESEARCH & THOUGHT PIECES FROM OUR TEAM

After an unexpectedly hawkish Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points for the third consecutive time last week, all eyes were on markets and the economy. Few, however, paid attention to the effect persistent inflation and higher interest rates will have on Uncle Sam...

• The Wall...

Americans are set to fork out an extra $11,500 this year if they want to enjoy the same standard of living they maintained in 2020, according to new estimates from NerdWallet. The estimates, published in August, were based on inflation and annual spending data from the...

As inflation remains at the highest level in more than 40 years, millions of Americans are facing financial hardship due to rising consumer prices. According to a survey conducted by Gallup in August, the majority of U.S. adults now say that price increases are causing financial hardship for...

It has been around six months since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine. During this time, the world has keenly witnessed seismic shifting trends across economic, geopolitical and cultural lines. But perhaps the most profound impact the conflict has had (and continues to have) on the...

America has been struggling through a crippling housing crisis for much of the last decade. Many may intuitively feel this, but the data is even starker than emotions suggest. Nearly half of all renters, amounting to 20 million households, are burdened by housing costs. 10 million renters are...

Since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic through today, news about labor shortages and missing workers has dominated headlines. The question everyone still seems to be asking is: Why?

• Mining.com: "Tesla’s Battery Metals Bill Balloons To $100 billion"
• Of Dollars And Data: "Who Holds The...

Central bankers worry that the recent surge in inflation may represent not a temporary phenomenon but a transition to a new, lasting reality. To counter the impact of a decline in global commerce and persistent shortages of labor, commodities and energy, central bankers might lift interest rates...

For decades, buying property was considered a safe investment in China. Now, instead of building a foundation of wealth for the country’s middle class, real estate has become a source of discontent and anger.

• The New York Times: "If The Job Market Is So Good, Why Is Gig Work Thriving?"
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Recession is often defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction—declining real GDP. The nation’s GDP fell 1.6 percent on an annualized basis in first quarter 2022 and was followed by a 0.9 percent drop in the second quarter.

• Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas: "U.S. Likely...

Water levels on the Rhine River are set to fall perilously close to the point at which it would effectively close, putting the trade of huge quantities of goods at risk as the continent seeks to stave off an economic crisis.

• The New York Times: "Retail’s ‘Dark Side’: As...

As you may have heard, the US inflation rate is 9.1%. That is, the consumer price index for all items as estimated for June by the Bureau of Labor Statistics was 9.1% higher than it was a year earlier.

• Business Insider: "Travel agents Say They Are 'Overwhelmed' By A Massive Surge In New Clients...

More Americans are relocating to Europe, driven across the Atlantic by the rising cost of living, inflated house prices, a surging dollar and political rancor at home.

• Financial Times: "We Should Be Worrying About Debt As Well As Inflation"
• Liberty Street Economics: "The Bond Market...